The European Association for Chinese Philosophy will be hosting two 2-hour society sessions at
the World Congress of Philosophy held at Università di Roma Sapienza 1-8 August 2024.

Abstract or paper submission deadline: 15 July 2023

The themes of the two sessions are as follows:

European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP) Session I:
Non-Human vs. Human: Environmental Appraisals.

Following most recent developments and the increasing interest in the field of Asian environmental
humanities and Asian-human environmental research (Meiner 2013; Callicott & McRae 2014; Vogel
& Dux 2010), the proposed session explores issues in Chinese environmental ethics from all periods
that are at the center of the ecosystemic and environmental debate in China in both ancient and
contemporary times (Nelson 2021; Lander 2021), such as (but not limited to): philosophical
conceptualizations of nature and animals; the call for a “return to a state of nature” and recovering
one’s original human nature; human-animal interactions, the moral status of animals, animal
welfare and ethics (Nylan 2019); bioethics, human and animal rights, and self-consciousness
(Carrara & Gómez 2021); political ecology, green and sustainable environmental practices and
ethical resource management throughout the ages. The session also welcomes and hopes to
stimulate further discussions on broader considerations of human vs. non-human interaction from
a comparative cross-cultural and transhistorical perspective.

European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP) Session II:
​Human vs. Posthuman: Living with Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

The complex, multifaceted relationship between humans and technology and its effects on human
life, together with its pervasive cultural, social-political and intellectual implications and long-lasting
consequences have long been at the center of both ancient and contemporary philosophical debate
among all cultures. Most recently, artificial intelligence has become a hot debated topic and a major
concern in contemporary philosophico-ethical discourse, as for instance the foundation of the
Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University (2021) and the Berggruen China Centre in Beijing (2018)
show. The proposed session delves into the relatively new and still largely unexplored dimension of
the rapidly growing contemporary Chinese debate on artificial intelligence, robotics, and
augmented reality and the related ethical problematics (Tan 2020; Song 2021). It focuses on Chinese
philosophical views of technology and artificial intelligence as enhanced reality, and as an aspect
and extension of the human (and posthuman) condition (Abrams 2004; Braidotti 2017; Araya 2018).
The session may also include discussions of classical considerations of what it means to be human,
and the impact of technological innovations of different kinds on society and the human condition.

EACP members in good standing are invited to make submissions within the parameters of the
above themes focusing on Chinese or Comparative philosophy. Submissions are to be sent to Geir
Sigurðsson (geirs@hi.is), Vice-president of EACP, and should include the following information:

1. Title of Paper
2. Name of Presenter
3. Presenter’s Affiliation
4. Presenter’s e-mail address
5. Approximately 200-word Paper Abstract
​
All submissions will be evaluated by a special selection committee nominated by the EACP board. Notification of acceptance will be sent out no later than in August 2023. Participants in EACP society
sessions will be asked to handle their own registration through the WCP website:
https://wcprome2024.com/registration/ (early bird registration is available before 1 October 2023)..

Call for Conference Proposals - 6th Biennal Conference of the European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP) 2027

In order to meet its goals to encourage and advance academic and scholarly activities related to
Chinese philosophy in all countries across Europe and to create and maintain a platform for a
fruitful cooperation and exchange of ideas, the European Association for Chinese Philosophy
(EACP) organizes regular biennial conferences.

The current Board of the EACP invites all members in good standing to issue proposals to
host the 6th Biennal Conference in the year 2027.

The proposal (about 1 page in length) should name the place of the conference, which can be any
academic institution in Europe, the person responsible for the conference organization (including
contact email address), as well as a short description of the venue, which should ideally be
sufficient to host at least 100–150 participants. Optionally, the proposal may also include
suggestions for the main topic and point out possible sponsors.

Please send the proposals in a single PDF file until 30 April 2023 to Selusi Ambrogio
<selusi.ambrogio@unimc.it> (President of the EACP) and to Christian Soffel <soffel@uni-trier.de>
(Secretary of the EACP).
​
The Board of the EACP shall then make a decision, which will be communicated during the
General Assembly of the EACP in June 2023.

Call for Papers - 4th Biennal Conference of the European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP) - “Interpretation and Reinvention” - June 16-18, 2023
 
 The 4th Biennal Conference of the European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP) will take place in Macerata (Italy) on June 16-18, 2023. The theme of the conference is “Interpretation and reinvention.”
 
Every philosopher always has a forerunner to interpret. Any new philosophical theory is grounded in an existing theory, which it reinvents or contrasts. Every concept has its own history of contrasting and converging interpretations and reinvention. While this is obvious in the case of Western Philosophy, it is not always the case for China, whose cultural history is often improperly represented as static, converging, and repetitive. We all have in mind Raffaello Sanzio’s fresco The School of Athens that plastically represents the opposing visions of nature in ancient Greece. The painting is dynamic and full of individual traits of the more than twenty philosophers represented. Those figures, freshly painted by Raffaello, are opposing, rejecting, or reinventing their masters’ teachings and common sense. In this conference, we invite the scholars to participate in the process of “painting” the fresco of the thinkers of Chinese philosophy.
 
Confucius reinvented Zhou culture in a new philosophical and moral shape. Mozi openly dismissed ruist ritualistic doctrines. Mencius and Xunzi diverged in the interpretation of Confucius’s teaching. Hanfeizi made use of Laozi’s political view for creating a renovated legalist perspective. The School of Mystery, Chinese Buddhists Schools, Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism, Contemporary New Confucianism, etc., are all instances of the interpretative and reinventing activity inherent in Chinese philosophy. Chinese culture is certainly the expression of a strong and unique converging attitude, but we should never neglect the dynamism of synthesis and reinvention. In this conference, speakers are invited to discuss their research and shed new light on the dynamism of the history of Chinese Philosophy from any perspective: metaphysical, ethical, historical, theoretical, linguistic, rhetorical, aesthetic, etc. Original abstracts able to show the converging or diverging links between thinkers or schools in any period of Chinese history are particularly welcome.
 
Scholars interested in Chinese philosophy and philosophy in China are invited to submit proposals for individual papers or panels to Selusi Ambrogio (University of Macerata), <selusi.ambrogio@unimc.it>.

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words. Panel proposals should include the title and a brief description of the panel and the names, affiliations, email addresses of the participants, and the titles of each participant’s presentation with 250 words abstracts. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2022. Notice of acceptance of proposals will be sent to your email address by early February, with instructions on how to register and submit the conference registration fee (EACP members: 60 EUR for scholars and 20 EUR for students; non-members: 80 EUR for scholars and 30 EUR for students).

Keynote speakers of the conference: Jana Rošker (University of Ljubljana) and David Chai (The Chinese University of Hong Kong).

To encourage the participation and inclusion of young researchers, there will be a Young Scholars Award. MA holders and PhD candidates should submit a full paper and indicate whether they wish to compete for the award. Winner(s) of the award will receive a certificate, prize money from the Association and the possibility to publish of the paper(s) in the international academic journal Asian Studies https://journals.uni-lj.si/as/about (peer-reviewed and indexed).

As in Asia, particularly in the People Republic of China, Covid-19 restrictions are likely to still be in place, and we will allow a very limited number of selected speakers to participate digitally. Those unable to physically attend because of travel restrictions or because of a positive Covid-19 test during the days of the conference will be allowed to participate online (in that case, membership of EACP is compulsory).
 
Further information can be found on the website of the European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP) https://www.ea-cp.eu/.
 
The official languages of the conference are English and Chinese.
 
To view this CFP in PDF format, please click here.

https://as.ff.uni-lj.si/en/remembering-li-zehou-commemorative-conference

This online conference is being held in honor of Professor Li Zehou on November 2, 2022, the first anniversary of his death.

The conference has been organized by Roger T. Ames and Jana S. Rošker with the help of Maja M. Kosec. It will extend over 11 hours, namely from UTC 7:00 to 20:00 (7:00 AM - 8:00 PM) and across four different time zones.

Many internationally renowned experts on Li Zehou have accepted our invitation and are participating in this conference. We are both proud and honored.

On this website, you will find the conference program and the proceedings, which include preliminary drafts by (almost) all the participants. They will be discussed at the conference and then revised for the final publication of the Li Zehou memorial volume that will be submitted to SUNY Press.

We hope that the conference will be interesting and inspiring, and that it will give us a lot of new food for thought. Creating new ideas by honoring and developing the old ones is something Li Zehou always valued. Therefore, we believe that this meeting will be an excellent opportunity to celebrate and appreciate all that we have learned from this great philosopher.

On behalf of the organizers,
​
Jana S. Rošker

The issue will be devoted to the following topic:

Humanism, Posthumanism and Transhumanism in the Asian Past and Present

Traditional European humanism focused on the white, Western, and male humans. Today, it is
experiencing bankruptcy in the face of neoliberalist, profit- and market-oriented social paradigms. On the other hand, the ideas of subjectivity and humanism are among the central axiological foundations of modernization and form an important part of the European heritage of ideas that still prevails in the ideational foundations of modern social systems on a global scale, shaping and determining their intellectual, legal, and ideological paradigms. Therefore, the aspects of humanism that preserve and develop human dignity, integrity and the quality of human life must be revived, updated and adapted to the needs of our time. In today's globalized world, they must be brought into a fruitful relational, dialogical and dialectical relationship with similar and related traditions of non-European cultures. In this context, the special issue will focus on the study of Asian traditions.
​
We invite authors to contribute articles to this special issue that focus on analyzes and
interpretations of various Asian models of humanism, posthumanism, and transhumanism.

We are very interested in the following (and many other similar) topics:

- various culturally conditioned conceptions of the human Self and specifically Asian ways of
conceptualizing human freedom and autonomy,
- alternative conceptions of personhood,
- critique of traditional humanism and introduction of different models of posthumanism,
- ecological humanism and posthumanism,
- different culturally conditioned models of interpersonal ethics and intersubjectivity,
- different critical approaches to anthropocentrism and different alternatives by which it can be
replaced,
- the relationships between humans and the digital world and different digital identities,
- ideas and models of cyber-humanity: cyborgs, hybrid beings, and notions of multiple selves,
- avatars and the diversity of notions of personhood,
- ethics of biotechnologies and bioengineering,
- generations and aging: problems, conflicts, resolutions.

Here is the schedule with the relevant deadlines:

Submission of papers: March 15, 2023
Online publication: September 15, 2023
Publication of the printed issue: September 20, 2023

I look forward to your contributions and send you my warmest greetings on behalf of the Editorial Board,

Jana S. Rošker

CFP: Digital Identities in China, a special issue of Chinese Literature and Thought Today (CLTT)*
Guest-edited by Dr. Paul J. D’Ambrosio

From award winning science fiction writers to the most unified social credit system in the world and from expansive use of digital identification cards to pervasive applications of artificial intelligence in everyday life, China is at the forefront of many digital frontiers. As ever increasing reliance on digital technologies shape our experiences and mediate our interactions, reflections on how our ways of understanding ourselves, others, and the world need to transform accordingly.

Many Western analyses criticize shifts to profile-based conceptions and frameworks as lacking “authenticity.” Digitalized identities—including those curated on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok—are appallingly antithetical to the self-narratives that appeal to creating or discovering an inner self.

Chinese literature and philosophy offer rich resources for questioning the absolute centrality of authenticity when reflecting on digital identities. They thus provide exciting resources for and examples of how shifts to digital identities can be engaged with, reflected on, and theorized about. In this special issue we invite authors to explore digital identities in China from the perspective of Chinese literature, philosophy, or other related avenues. Comparative or more Chinese centered approaches are equally welcome, as are new research proposals or English translations of previously published papers (in Chinese).

Our preference is for an engaging, accessible discussion style that also retains research rigor.

The timetable is as follows:

-Send a 250-word abstract and a short bio to Dr. Dr. Paul J. D’Ambrosio (pauljdambrosio@hotmail.com) by July 30, 2022
-Notification of acceptance of abstracts will be sent out by August 15, 2022
-Full papers (up to 9,000 words) are due on February 28, 2023
​
*Chinese Literature and Thought Today (CLTT) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Routledge. CLTT represents the merger of two forerunners of Chinese humanities scholarly publication, Contemporary Chinese Thought and Chinese Literature Today.

It is my great pleasure to announce the imminent launch of a new book series with Bloomsbury on Daoist thought. Attached is the Call for Proposals and the series website is here:
​
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/series/daoism-and-the-human-experience/
​

The deadline for submitting applications for the "Summer School on Contemporary Chinese Thought - Aesthetics, Anthropology, and Ethics through the Lens of Li Zehou’s Philosophy" (Ljubljana, June 16-20, 2022) has been extended to the 10th of March 2022. Applicants will receive feedback by March 15.

For more information on the summer school, see below.

Summer School on Contemporary Chinese Thought -
Aesthetics, Anthropology, and Ethics through the Lens of Li Zehou’s Philosophy
Ljubljana, June 16-20, 2022

We invite PhD students and post-docs from all European universities to participate in a four-day summer school on Li Zehou's system of thought. The rich intellectual legacy of Li Zehou, one of the most influential contemporary Chinese scholars, can help us understand the specific fusion of Western and traditional Chinese discourses that shaped contemporary Chinese society at the threshold of the third millennium.

The summer school will take place at the University of Ljubljana from June 16-20, 2022, and is jointly organized by the Department of Asian Studies of this university and the European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP).

There is no tuition fee and the organizers will cover the cost of accommodation and meals for all participants. The number of participating students is limited to 25. The summer school will be led by five internationally recognized experts on the thought of Li Zehou:

• Karl Heinz Pohl, Trier University;
• Rafal Banka, University of Oxford;
• Paul D’Ambrosio, East China Normal University;
• Robert A. Carleo III, Chinese University of Hong Kong;
• Jana S. Rošker, University of Ljubljana​​

​If you are interested in participating in the course, please send your contact details with a short letter of motivation to Maja Kosec (majamaria.kosec@ff.uni-lj.si) and to Jana S. Rošker (jana.rosker@ff.uni-lj.si) no later than 1 March 2022.

​You will be notified about the acceptance no later than March 10 and we will send you the preparation material as well as the schedule of the course by the end of March.

Brief description
In early November 2021, Li Zehou, one of the giants of contemporary Chinese thought, passed away. Li Zehou was undoubtedly one of the most significant, important and influential Chinese philosophers and experts on Chinese culture of our time, and one of the few Chinese intellectuals whose works found a wide readership outside China. In the last two decades of the 20th century, he was a hero of Chinese youth and a role model for many Chinese intellectuals. His ideas had a tremendous impact on various areas of contemporary Chinese thought.

Therefore, the main aim of this summer school is to introduce his important work to the youngest generation of European scholars in the field of Chinese studies and/or philosophy, and to provide them with a valuable insight into the structure of his thought and its main contents
.
Indeed, an insight into Li's intellectual system can help us understand the specific fusion of Western and traditional Chinese discourses that has shaped contemporary Chinese society on the threshold of the third millennium.

He became famous in the 1980s with his works on Chinese aesthetics. In the creative urgency of that time, when aesthetics seemed to offer the most effective redemption from the difficult experiences of the Cultural Revolution, Li offered young Chinese new, extraordinarily creative interpretations of art, philosophy, and literature.

Moreover, his theory of anthropohistorical ontology led several Chinese theorists to critically rethink the conformist version of Marxist epistemology and aesthetics. Li was also one of the first Chinese scholars to openly advocate a "rehabilitation" of Confucius as a representative symbol of Chinese intellectual heritage, and to call for a critical revival of Confucian thought. Countless debates on aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, or traditional Chinese thought have been inspired by Li Zehou's theories. In various intellectual, artistic, and cultural circles, his ideas were extensively cited as authoritative, and he became the intellectual icon or guru of many university students. In addition to his attempts to bridge various social dichotomies – individual freedom and social or historical necessity, alienation and progress, subjective emotions and objective laws – Li was seen primarily as a bridge between the older and younger generations of Chinese intellectuals.

Despite the complexity and wide range of his works, which cannot be reduced to prevailing philosophical categories or currents, he is undoubtedly one of the most important modern scholars of Chinese history and culture, especially considering that his work was central to the Chinese Enlightenment of the 1980s. Li launched many new perspectives that had a great impact not only on Chinese but also on global theories of ethics, humanism, aesthetics, and philosophical anthropology.

Li's popularity reached truly stupendous proportions. His books almost always sold out within a few days of publication, and there was hardly a dorm room that did not have at least one volume of his Critique of Critical Philosophy, even though the book was extremely complex and difficult to read. His enormous influence and appeal were felt by a whole generation of Chinese youth, who saw him as an inspiring intellectual leader comparable to Jean-Paul Sartre or Herbert Marcuse in Western culture. We can probably attribute this influence to two main reasons: Li's openly professed love of beauty, and his appreciation of freedom.

These two ideals are still at the forefront of the intellectual and sensual aspirations of many young people around the world. Therefore, Li Zehou's thinking can undoubtedly contribute to a better understanding of his Chinese homeland, its society, and culture.